Toyota is
generally the name that most consumers think of when talking hybrid cars. The
company’s Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle in the world. Toyota also
provides its hybrid technology to other carmakers as well (Nissan Altima Hybrid).

Toyota has announced that is sales of hybrid vehicles have hit a new landmark
-- it has now sold 3 million hybrid cars globally. The 3
million mark was hit on February 28, 2011. Toyota put its first hybrid, the Coaster
Hybrid EV, on the Japanese market in 1997; it was closely followed by the
launch of the first generation Prius. The Prius then made its way to North
America and Europe in 2000.

Counting the Lexus brand, Toyota currently has 16 hybrid vehicles that are
available in roughly 80 different countries and regions around the globe (three
of those hybrids are commercial vehicles offered in Japan). Toyota also notes
that ten new hybrid vehicles are due by the end of 2012 with six being new
launches and four being new designs of existing vehicles. Toyota will also be
offering the hybrids in new countries and regions as well.

Toyota says that its calculations show that the hybrid fleet it sells has kept
18 million tons of CO2 from being put into the atmosphere compared to the same
number of traditional vehicles on the road. Toyota cites the 3 millions sales
mark as evidence that the hybrid is going mainstream.